SJAX Column (1 Viewer)

[MCguidance]

Sjax Column

WEEK 15

EDITED FOR WEEK 15: He should be a very viable option for this week for those of you hoping to get into the latter part of the playoffs.

Sorry I am a day short, but I figured I'd bump anyway

 

[twitch]

hopefully where it should have been all along. in the trash. that guy needs to worry about his friggin' team and stop worrying about a bunch of fantasy owners. it was cute at first. at 0-8, go ahead and close down shop.

 

[dwashington]

It's not easy to find.

http://sports.espn.go.com/fantasy/football...tory?id=3089939

November 1, 2007, 5:35 PM

The bye week! It's finally here, and I'm stuck rehabbing … yet again. My back is going to be fine. I have two full weeks to get the bulging disc under control, and I'll be ready for the Saints. To be honest, it gets a little tiring to keep writing "I'll be fine" and "I'll be back" every week, so instead, just read Ms. Bell's excellent injury column here, and we can all move on to something much more fun and enjoyable:

2007's bye week.

It's an interesting thing, the bye. I mean, we get a little free time just to relax, and kind of mentally hit "reset" to rest up a little, see the family, maybe go on a quick trip. Last year, I went to New York for a couple days, then flew back to Vegas to spend some time with my family. After weeks of taking hits, going hard against defenders, sitting in meetings and running through practices, it was amazingly -- and ironically -- cathartic to sit in the middle of the busiest city in the world and just have a little fun for a couple days. It was also kind of cool to walk through all the people on the streets. I never had the urge to throw a blocker in front of me and take some of the slow walkers out, but I can see how other people might be tempted.

So what am I doing this year? I'm here in St. Louis, rehabbing. No New York for me. My relaxation is going to come in the form of a couple books, I think. In fact, want to know what's on the Steven Jackson reading list? I recently read "Angels and Demons" by Dan Brown (the guy who wrote "The Da Vinci Code") and then Barack Obama's book, "Dreams From My Father." I think Barack Obama is an extremely impressive and intelligent man. Both were great reads, and I highly recommend either to the ESPN-reading public. So move over, Oprah; The Steven Jackson Book Club is now in full effect!

So now that you know what I like to read, how about a little Greek mythology. More specifically, the Greek goddess of victory, whose name was -- and I'm not making this up -- Nike. She seems to have some sort of vendetta against me and my teammates so far this year! We keep trying, and pushing, and going out there every week to get that win, but it just seems like Nike isn't having it. But after a week of rest, we hope to change that.

Here's what I can tell you -- in that locker room, nobody is giving up. I know it's easy to envision a group of guys who are 0-8 and just throwing their hands up in the air and saying, "I quit," but that's not how it is with the Rams. Quarterback Marc Bulger came back, I came back; we're trying. Maybe this week off is exactly what we needed. There are still eight games left, remember. Just last year, the Giants made it into the playoffs at 8-8. And we did it back in 2004. Hope is not completely lost in the Rams organization.

Have a great bye week, everyone, and get me back in your lineups next week!

Steven

 

[Loopdog]

i know he's been hurt this year and all but its really really hard to not like Steven Jackson.

 

[JHicks22]

This is just what I wanted to hear. Hopefully he will come back strong against NO.

 

[mistersmith]

http://sports.espn.go.com/fantasy/football...tory?id=3112048

Pretty awesome, right? I told everyone to start me and be ready for some touchdown scoring, but I wanted to surprise you all with the passing TD. I figured it'd be a nice little novelty reward for everyone who stuck with me on their teams. Plus, I know Randy McMichael owners wanted to see him get a few TDs in there, so I figured I'd help you all out with that, too.

So how did it unfold? The play was actually designed as a run/pass option, and, to be honest, I was looking to run before I had to pass. You stick with what you know, right? But I saw Randy there in the end zone, and I figured he was a big enough target (and has some great hands), so I just fired it in to him, and there we had it. Six points for the Rams, four points for fantasy players, and we're on the road to victory.

And I have to tell you, it feels so good to get that first win out of the way. So good. And you know what? If I was writing this column Saturday night, I could have told you we were going to win. Jim Haslett, our defensive coordinator, and Corey Chavous (our free safety) addressed the whole team, and really fired us up and had us leaving the room feeling like we were 8-0. Morale was through the roof -- you could just feel something different in the air -- and I'm getting the feeling you're going to see a very strong finish from the 2008 St. Louis Rams. We did it in 2007, we've made it through some pretty bad injuries so far this year, and we're feeling good. I can tell you all that the locker room right now is just in high spirits and ready for this Sunday's game against the 49ers.

So now we're back to practice, and the groin is feeling great, the back is feeling great, and pretty much everything else feels great, too. No more of these "I'm rehabbing and I'll be back soon," columns. I'm running, cutting & I am back to the old Action Jackson! I feel better than ever, and I hope you've all held on to me and are starting me without reservation now.

And by the way, Pro Bowl voting is now open. I don't think I have to tell you all that a second consecutive trip to Hawaii would be welcomed with open arms. How about we make a little trade here? Get me to Hawaii for the NFC, and I will keep scoring TDs for you throughout your fantasy playoffs. Fair enough?

So best of luck this week to all of you, and keep pulling for a Rams win in Week 11. Thanks again to everyone who held on to me and my teammates on your fantasy squads. Expect the payoffs to keep on coming.

Rams running back Steven Jackson is a weekly contributor to ESPN.com Fantasy.

 

[swirvenirvin]

S-JAX

 

[Magnus_CA]

I personally like the column. He's putting a lighter spin on their disastrous season. The Pro Bowl plea is a lot far fetched. Even though talent-wise he deserves to be there he hasn't been on the field enough to earn a spot. I hope he's right about them finishing strong!

 

[JHicks22]

 

[mozzy84]

love hearing him say he feels great, heres to hoping for a playoff run like last year!

 

[Bad_Mo]

love hearing him say he feels great, heres to hoping for a playoff run like last year!

One of the reasons I drafted him this year...my playoff opponent last year had Bulger and SJax. One play (long passing TD to SJax late in the game) destroyed me. Pushed them both over the bonuses and gave them extra points for a long TD. I think the play resulted in an extra 56 points. ouch.

 

[nashua55]

if he gets through this week unscathed with good numbers i will be a believer again. at the moment though, i am still not convinced he isnt going to break again.

 

[jpeace121]

 

[chidoy]

x2

 

[dwashington]

On a positive note, looks like he's getting another lineman back this week, Stuessie.

Even better is that Stuessie started running back in Week 5 of the season, so it sounds like he's ready to contribute.

Lechey is just TOO small to play guard, the 49ers were man-handling him.

http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/sports/st...9C?OpenDocument

Steussie made it official Tuesday, re-signing with the Rams after reaching an injury settlement with the team Sept. 5. Wide receiver Travis Taylor was released, creating a roster spot for Steussie.

"I'm happy to be back in numerous ways," Steussie said. "It's been a long time for the Rams. But it's been a long time for me, too."

Since Steussie suffered a broken foot Aug. 30 in the exhibition finale against Kansas City, bodies have been falling left and right at Rams Park. Particularly on the offensive line, where tackle Orlando Pace, guard-tackle Adam Goldberg and guards Mark Setterstrom and Richie Incognito ended up on the season-ending injured reserve list.

Advertisement

That's how Steussie originally was designated, too, but the Rams took advantage of a five-day window to reach an injury settlement, thus making him eligible to return to the team this week. It's a highly unusual move. In fact, since the move to St. Louis in 1995, the Rams never have brought a player back once agreeing on an injury settlement.

Until now, that is.

"I'm charged up about it. I probably won't sleep that well tonight," Steussie said Tuesday. "I'm just excited about getting in to work. I imagine I'm going to be the same way on game day. But I'll settle down."

Adding to the strange nature of Steussie's return is the fact that he's expected to start Sunday against Seattle, though it's uncertain whether he'll be at tackle or guard. Twelve weeks after his last football activity — the Governor's Cup game against the Kansas City Chiefs — Steussie will attempt to play Sunday with only three practices under his belt. That's almost unheard of in the NFL.

Steussie sounds unfazed by the challenge.

"Muscle memory will kick in," Steussie said. "The older you get, the more you do most of your work in the film room — mentally getting ready. If I get prepared building up to the (game), I'll be just fine on Sunday."

Physically, Steussie may not be in "football" shape. But he's in shape. He started doing treadmill work about five weeks after surgery.

"And once I was able to do that, it was to the point where I could start pushing it," he said.

He started lifting weights. He did running and field work at MICDS. He even trained at the Boxing Gym in Maryland Heights.

"No sparring; it was all heavy bags, speed bag, target pads, working some footwork, jumping rope," Steussie said.

How does the boxing work carry over to football?

"Explosion. Hand-eye coordination. Balance. Agility. Speed," Steussie said. "I worked on getting the speed of my punches up and also endurance and stamina."

It was all designed with the idea of getting himself as ready as possible to play right away once he re-signed with St. Louis.

"I'm going to go four days from my first practice to being on the football field in a real game," Steussie said. "I really wanted to push myself to some extremes. My wife said I had a workout disorder because that was pretty much all I did."

Well, that and drive the kids to school.

"I'm the king of dropoff and pickup at my sons' school," Steussie said. "I'm one of the few dads in the car-pool line."

Which sounds a bit like the Michael Keaton role in the 1983 movie comedy "Mr. Mom."

"Exactly," Steussie said. "North to drop off, south to pick up."

Steussie, who turns 37 on Dec. 1, said he was healthy enough to play about a month ago. By league rule, and under the terms of the injury settlement, he wasn't eligible to return to the Rams until this week. However, he could've signed with another NFL team at any point after the settlement but chose not to explore that option.

"I'm on my fourth (NFL) team right now, and we've moved three times in the last five years," Steussie said. "I didn't want to leave my family, or yank them out of school and go somewhere else, live in some apartment.

"When we came to the Rams, I made a promise to my kids — especially my oldest son, Jack, who was really having a hard time moving — that this was going to be the last team I was going to play for. Whether or not he remembers it, I remember it."

Also, Steussie said he feels a sense of loyalty to the Rams, unlike any he's felt working for Minnesota, Carolina or Tampa Bay in his 14-year career.

"I'm not going to bash the places that I've been before, but there's been some people that I don't have too fond of memories," Steussie said. "Not so much the players, but some of the coaches, the front office. So when you see some good people ... you want to reciprocate, and do good back to them."

 

[MCguidance]

bump for week 13

 

[dwashington]

bump for week 13

November 29, 2007, 5:35 PM

Yes, folks, I realize I'm starting to sound like a broken record, but let's just get it out of the way first:

I am fine.

The head is fine, the groin is fine, and the back is fine. So I'm feeling great, ready to play, and you have nothing to worry about for your teams this week. In fact, I know a lot of fantasy owners are gearing up for the playoffs (I'm told they start in earnest next Thursday), so I'm going to try to turn it on a little bit, and get you those double-digit points that you all drafted me for. I'd like to help every owner who held on to me and believed in me to get that fantasy gold. And, in turn, stomp on all those teams who traded me away. Let's aim for a couple more long runs this week, and then we'll really get amped up for the playoffs.

And speaking of long touchdown runs, I couldn't help but notice that my little scamper last weekend made it to the "SportsCenter" top play list. That's a pretty cool thing to see, considering how many games I'd been forced to sit out at the beginning of the season. Also, I have to admit, it's always cool to see yourself on TV making a big run like that. We have film that we have to watch every week, but it's not set to music like on ESPN. Or the shoe commercial with Merriman. Remember that one? I still get all fired up watching it.

Anyway, the run was just the perfect play-call. We caught them on an outside blitz, my line gave me a great hole, and I was able to run on a straight line to the end zone. Everyone thinks I'm just a power back, but I have wheels, man! Like I said, keep me in there.

And I hate to end this column on a somber note, but I wanted to address the Sean Taylor situation. I knew Sean, and this is just a tragic, sad loss. He was a great person and family guy. My prayers go out to him and his family. And to his teammates, his friends, even the fans who went out and wore his "21" jerseys, know that I'm there with you. It goes to show you that anyone, even an athlete, can be a victim of senseless violence. And it kind of puts the entire game in perspective.

So, for this week, why don't all the owners out there take all those prayers you've been saying in hopes of fantasy success, and send them out to Sean's family. I am sure it would be greatly appreciated.

Best of luck to everyone again, and I will see you all in seven days.

Rams running back Steven Jackson is a weekly contributor to ESPN.com Fantasy.

http://sports.espn.go.com/fantasy/football...tory?id=3133554

 

[MCguidance]

Music, playoffs and more

By Steven Jackson

December 6, 2007, 9:33 AM

I tell you what, fantasy-heads: These long runs are nice, but the runs in the games we win always seem to be a little sweeter.

It feels good to break another 50-plus-yard run. I mean, think about when you were a kid: Did you like scampering for 5 yards before someone gave you the two-hand touch (and then you tried to convince everyone it was only one hand that got you)? Or did nothing beat breaking free with that nerf ball and sprinting down half the field, dodging the kids from down the street trying to tackle you, and crossing the goal line totally out of breath? It's Option B every time for me; I'm not ashamed to admit that there's still a little kid under the 39 jersey.

So how'd these runs start popping up now? The past two weeks, we've really tried to focus on finishing games. I've been coming into the game just trying to dominate the ground game, control the ball, and run out the clock. And I've been fortunate enough to have some great blocking, which is allowing me to run down the field and get you all these fantasy points. In fact, I took a peek at my fantasy scoring from last week. 22 points! Not bad, right? And for those of you with me in one of your running back slots heading into the fantasy playoffs, know that I'm going to try and get us up into that 30-point range this week.

Now, on to a more pressing matter:

Music.

I know there was a pretty big deal made after the win this week about me requesting some better music in the Edward Jones Dome. And I wanted to address that here, because I know you ESPNers love hearing about things that have very little bearing on your fantasy play. Do you all remember the scene in "Caddyshack" when Rodney Dangerfield throws a bunch of bills at the band to pep up the music at the Bushwood mixer? That was pretty much me. Al Czervik. Without all the money being thrown around.

But the Dome had been a little quiet as of late, and I just felt like we needed some better stuff coming out of the speakers to get us fired up a little bit. Like when Derek Jeter steps up to the plate and gets his favorite song blasting through Yankee Stadium. Why not throw a little bit of that in now and then during the games? And it wasn't only for us. I did it just as much to get the crowd up and moving, and it worked -- you could see them dancing on the JumboTron! In my mind, there's no better way to do that than pumping a little music over the speakers to get the bodies moving.

Anyway, I figured I'd share a little bit of what I listen to if I want to get pumped up before a game. Maybe you can fire it up on your laptop while checking fantasy scores this week …

Generally speaking, anything with a good beat that has some gut-wrenching, high-energy sounds to get the blood flowing, or to get the guys pumped up, works. Before Week 13's game, I was going back and forth between the new Jay-Z (I love "American Gangster") and Incubus.

On my iPod, though, I'm all over the place. I have a little Bob Marley, some Sade, and I have the Gorillaz on heavy rotation right now. It all pales in comparison, though, to me doing my karaoke version of "Welcome to the Jungle." I'm going to have to get that one out to the masses. Somehow.

So this week, we're on the road, and I'll be unable to test my "better music" theory, but I'm still looking for another win. The team is really coming together -- we've won three of our past four -- and I think we're all still holding out hope that if we win out, and a couple of things go our way in terms of the teams ahead of us, we can at least try to get that last playoff spot at 7-9. It's going to be tough, but it isn't necessarily impossible.

To those of you in the playoffs, good luck this week. I'll do my best to get you into the next round.

See you in seven days.

Steven

Rams running back Steven Jackson is a weekly contributor to ESPN.com Fantasy.

http://sports.espn.go.com/fantasy/football...tory?id=3143034

 

[th3f00l]

I don't see why anyone wants to hate on SJAX. You have time to post on this forum don't you? In his free time he writes a letter to readers that play Fantasy Football. I think he fancies himself a writer. His writing isn't all bad either. I'm sure you haters have much more respect for players that don't reach out to their fan bases. I respect him for putting effort into a weekly report for people to read; maybe if he wasn't in the NFL he would've been a newspaper columnist or something. I can focus on my job and type on this forum now and again just as he can reach out to FF owners, thats all I'm really sayin.

 

[Pictus Cat]

These can be fun to send to an opponent if you have him.

 

[chidoy]

SJAX!!! Gotta love this guy.....

 

[Yitbos69]

SJax is awesome!! The guy is a total Stud Football player but also seems like a pretty down to earth nice guy pro athlete.......who are becoming harder and harder to fine these days.

 

[Sigmund Bloom]

Droppin the Caddyshack reference and shout out for the Gorillaz.

Jackson is good people

 

[MCguidance]

bump for week 15